Joyeuse Garde was the castle of Sir Lancelot, besieged by King Arthur and his knights when Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere's infidelities were revealed. It was a sorrowful time, this sundering of the Round Table because of not an enemy, but because of love. Eventually, Guinevere retired to a convent, unable to be with either Lancelot or Arthur.
I've worked on this piano suite on and off over the years, and have significant portions done. This, however, is the only movement that has ever gotten fully inished. When done, the movements will be:
- Castle in the Mist
- Sunrise
- Lancelot and Gawain
- Loss and Memory
- Evensong
Unfortunately, the current MIDI with its lack of dynamics does not serve this piece well at all: the opening is a swelling and clash of sound, strongly accented. After a silence, a martial theme is sounded and echoed, the challenge left there at the gates of the castle.